Norbz got robbed, Mccaul could have placed higher as well. Judging wasnt the best.
But at the end of the day THE RIGHT RIDER WON. Kurts run had technicality, speed and big tricks. Noone else linked up as many stomped tricks as he did. congrats Kurt!

Congrats to all the competitors for surviving! Yeah... dunno about the judging. Some riders have amazing, clean runs and got so shafted! Norbraten throwing threes like they're nothing and getting 65!? Pffft!

I don't think that Tyler McCaul got robbed,but Cam for sure...
Same thing with Andreu...
I'd also give Bizet some more points,cause in my opinion his run was way better than Bingellis,but anyway,he got well deserved 2nd place,so no problem.
Cheers

Cam And Norby should have been one two (and I can't really say what order cause they both blew me away)... Sorry, but while Sorge's run was great, it wasn't near the "complete performance" that Cam or Kyle threw down, certainly good for 3rd, but not the win IMO... Even Tyer McCaul was more impressive then Bingelli or Bizette... Bizette being in the top 3 is just a joke to me...

Judges were absolute shit today, Cedric Gracia was absolutely right. Sorge is the deserving winner, but Cam Mcaul should've scored way higher, and so should've Andreu on the first run (bummer 2nd...). I also think Martin Söderström got robbed. Sure he landed the 3 very rough, but he held on to it and the rest of the line was fluid and stylish as f*ck. But anyway, bummer that so many riders either crashed like Claw and Semenuk with their banger lines or the brit contingent.

jono and thewelsh: Both Brendan and Gee injuried themselves before finals, same as Zink. Gee's the biggest bummer because he first thought on friday he was out, then tried and his ankle was holding up great and then he ate shit big time again on saturday and couldn't ride again, that time for good. But yeah, too bad we didn't get to see them, was so looking forward to all of their lines.

And what about saying Will is sponsored by Karpiel? I hope they know that his bike and everything on it is at least 3-4 years old and possibly older than that... haha. CONGRATS WILL!!! You deserved a higher score than what you got.

The judging was def. questionable but screw it, who cares. What went down was insane and will continue to further this sport (two 3s in one run!?) regardless of what the judges think.

You guys are the biggest whiner's on the planet, "waa, waaa, my guy got robbed" I can't believe nobody is acknowledging the awesome riding we saw today!

Regardless of who placed where, it was another spectacular Rampage. Bingelli impressed me the most, but Sorge killed it too.

So many Trek riders, but they all placed poorly. Does Trek really belong in freeride, seems like an odd match? Think about it, this is the same brand that won 7 tdf's....oooops, no they didn't! Anyways, I know they have lots of money, but it's better spent on racing....who wants to take a Trek to the local dirt jumps?

Not sure if he deserved first because everything was just unreal crazy but personally I think you guys are underestimating how big that backie was... here's a shot I snapped of it... www.pinkbike.com/photo/8759224

Scott- I dont disagree with Sorge.. he deserved that.. He flat out threw down.. It was some of the others that were in question..
Protour- Your a tool.. They did win 7 FTD no matter what the USDA or UCI want to say.. and They have some of the best riders on the planet. I personally dont like their bikes, but I know they would stand up to what ever I could throw at them..

Congrats to Sorge! He was definitely the silent killer for this comp, and flew under the radar leading up to Rampage. Pretty sure not many folks predicted him on the top step, even though he's done super well here before.

I am the happiest person right now, just got back an hour or so ago, after having watched Rampage in person today and talking to Semenuk and Söderström and getting pictures. Definitely an amazing experience. And anyway, the Judging was spot on in my opinion.

Swan, you want to support a cheater and a perennial lyer, fine. But that means you would also be ok with Trek paying off the judges at next years Rampage so they could get better results, right? A cheater is a cheater and you don't mind aligning yourself with them. I see how you are...

Trek has made some questionable decisions starting with their first full suspension design and continuing when they dumped Greg Lemond and his brand cause he exposed Lance for being the biggest cheater in the sport. Now Lance is going to lose all his titles and Lemond will be the only American Tour de France winner. Looks like Lemond will get the last laugh! Massive fail Trek, just like your results at this years Rampage!

What a stupid name for a mountain bike: Trek! Ok name for a touring bike though, a bike you would ride slowly throughout the countryside, enjoying the scenery. A good name for a bike you would ride to Utah to watch the Rampage, but not for a bike you would ride that knarly stuff on. Seriously is there a more stupid brand name in the mtb world? Ergon, maybe?

just a thought about the judging for an event of this scale, I've never personally been there, but it looks big from the pictures so I couldn't imagine judging riders from what I assume is quite a distance. so, wouldn't it be easier if they watched the event on a screen much like what was on the live feed for audiences?

The judting was crap. Sorry. Sorge deserves the win, but I can't fathom WTF they were thinking for many other riders. The application of the four categories seemed completely inconsistent. And as many people said, are you f$cking kidding me with Cam McCaul? What a joke. He stomps the biggest gap on the mountain that no other rider dared to hit but Zink, who almost killed himself on it, pinned a steezy, flowing and FAST run linking big lines, and he ends up in 7th? That's absurd. Judges, in my book you did a bad job. Even the announcers thought so after Cam's first run. I hope you aren't involved in 2014. Thank God Rampage stands on its own regardless of any rankings as an all time event and this year was just nuts, since it would have otherwise been ruined by your inconsistent judging. And no, I'm not upset my "guy" didn't win - I was rooting for Zink. It just bothers me that the judging was so far off the mark. End rant.

@protour i dont agree with your comments on treks being bad freeride bikes and my only proof is that just this year trek bike riders have won 6 gold 3 silver and 2 bronze and the overall world title in the FMB world tour. they must be doing something right for those guys

on another note this rampage was amazing to watch although there was some questionable judging i believe the right guy won in the end sorge's line was amazing.

Crengleman, I never dados they were bad bikes. Any company can make a good bike of they put enough money into it, sure took Trek a long time though. I just said it was a stupid name for a MTB company . Without Gwin they would still be the "dork nerd" bike company. Actually they still sorta are, Gwin's not cool, hes just fast, but shy as pie, and not alot of personality. I still like him though, even though hes all religious and stuff. Total respect 4 him actually.

I'm watching it again now to critically analyze the judging from a technical standpoint, whiner clones. I'll report back later, after a few beers....

Funny how there's a conspiracy of Trek when Sorge rides for Giant and most (if not all) of the judges have no connections with Trek whatsoever.... more proof that protour is a "troll" and everyone believing him should just shut up and ignore him... that's what he's hoping for is responses. Way to play into that BS guys, haha.

I was dissapointed why the judges giving Cam McCaul such a low score for two absolutly sick runs + as the only rider in the finals hitting the canyon gap,Lacondeguy should also given a higher score because his run was awesome.

I missed the event, but I can't wait to see it now. It's not the first time C-Mac's been robbed by retarded people. He lost the Race Face UFC to Matt Hunter just 'cuz Hunter was from BC. WTF's Hunter now? Rampage is his kind of riding, where is he? He's got the spons to get him there. Even Bourdo & Kinrade get out to the Rampages. Hunter's not a competitor, he's a big budget video showboater. McCaul had the better video by far & he lost the popularity contest. Now it's like everyone loves the guy with good reason & he still gets shit on. WTF?

The whole excuse that it's hard to put together a score on the fly in a timely manner is bullshit. The judges responsibility is just to watch what the rider does & assign a fair score. The riders job is not die. There's a big f*cking difference & I'd be surprised if any of the judges noticed Norbraten switched a 3.

Swan, it's a good thing you chickened out on posting your rebuttal, prob cause you know it would have been picked apart piece by piece and intellectually dismantled and destroyed.
The event was spectacular, but the judging was spotty and inconsistent. Sorge had an awesome line and deserved to win, but shouldn't have had a score of the charts like that 86, and both McCauls 1st runs should have been much higher, they should have been up there.
Guevich's drop into the Oakley sender was my favorite stunt.

tyler and cam didnt get robbed. they did good be i think they got the score they deserved, i was there...... with the guy holding the "big ass stunt" sign standing on coarse and the judges are pretty damn good my only change would be biset in 1st. his run was way cooler more original and i felt a little riskier minus his back flip off of the drop into the lower section

Wilkey, when I saw your sign at first I thought it said "who wants to see an ASS STUNT, cause the big was a little misplaced.

I agree, the judging wasn't as bad as all these rampage hating clones think, the event is evolving, just like DH racing is. The judges want to see fast, exciting, high paced lines, not runs where the guy spends a bunch of time pedaling along a traverse, or almost comes to a stop before he drops into a tech line. That's why Sorge won, he chose the best line and pulled off his tricks.

Thank u Protour to coment that much, permise me to neg props you several times for saying such shame things on Trek company.
This company is puting some money on events, and sponsors lots of good riders McCaul, Semenuk, Gwin, Rheeder,... and some road riders too.
Permise this guys to live by just riding and entertaining us. Saying this is just a way to kill the sport, so just shut up man

Don't forget about Kyle Norbraten being robbed! Seriously, two 3's on down sloping drops, probably harder than backflips too most riders. Argue all you want, he is a sick rider and probably got undervoted because he doesn't do big comps. -- Same as Wil White.

@Protour, many trek guys did place poorly at rampage, but semenuk rides trek and he won the over all fmb. And ur question about who would take a trek to a dirt jump park..... um.... me. Yes they do have a really great DH Team But the Slope Style/free ride team is prettttyyyy stacked as well

Protard, Cam Zink won Rampage on a Hyper so GFY with all the Trek shit. I've always thought the same thing that they're not really a "Cool" company but who besides you gives a flyin' f*ck?!!!! If they built a bike I liked I'd be glad to ride one.

And about judging, many got robbed, but most robbed was Norbraten, even Zink himself said it. And he did indeed do an oppo 3, on his second run one was regular and one oppo. And the judges were way too hard on Martin Söderström, manhandling that hard landing on the 3 and riding away (not a stylish ride away, but he didn't fall of the bike, he kept it rolling).

There was no oppo 3 in Norbraten's last run, I'm pretty much 100% sure about that (I took a close look at the replay of the run after the commentators called the other 3 an oppo). Just 2 amazingly dialled regular 3's.

Do they not have a best trick at Rampage? They have them everywhere else. Sorry Protard, that's not such a revolutionary idea. Claw might agree with your 2nd idea (even though he thinks you're a dumb f*cktard too) but I'm pretty sure he'd shit all over the 3rd one. I like the big booters & the built stuff, but that's really not what Rampage is. Even building something like Semenuk's line goes way outside the rooted concepts of Rampage, which is supposed to be like a freeski contest, not a freebuild contest. There is a big difference between dirt & snow though, & bikes & skis, so it is what it is & it's a great thing, without your dumb ideas Protard. It's evident that you've got a big hard on for racing (doesn't surprise me) & you said yourself no one wants to see "runs where the guy spends a bunch of time pedaling along a traverse", so why the top 20 WC racers but no one else? If a lot of them wanted to be at Rampage, then they would be. Rampage has become a very scary place in the last 10 years. I'm sure that if your 20 heros came to Rampage, more than half would never come back. It's not their thing, you're a dumbass.

Maybe I'm wrong but in relation to your statement about pedaling down hills, why would you hold a girls contest if no girls have expressed any interest? Get real, you don't see girls in slopes, or FMX, you won't see many, if any volunteers here. The only girls contest anyone is gonna wanna watch at Rampage might be a little mud wrestle in the red Utah dirt. You really, really are a tard aren't you? If girls have shown interest then yeah it should be in just to be fair, but have any?

1. Its called the best trick. Cam won it. 2. Yeah well I guess its a good thing they had staff with knowledge of everyone's lines and made sure they were kept clear for the riders... and spectators were still confined into certain areas.3. Last I heard you were out of your mind crazy about the 5 wooden features they had this year... so you want more wood? 4. Yeah make an INVITATIONAL event worth more in a series in which not all riders are invited to.5. Doubling the amount of people in qualifying would extend the contest time by another day, a day that they cannot afford to do. 6. ^ again, events aren't free to put on and this one is the most expensive to hold so even though you're purposely saying stuff to get people worked up, I also think that you truly have no clue and are that stupid in some aspects.

Seems like Protour is really starting to enjoy being the pinkbike antagonist. You have done a good job of turning your rambling nonsensical tirades into something people expect from every PB article. If you're going to be an ass, ya might as well be a smart ass..

FMB, I have a few questions I'm interested to hear your take on. I understand judging is a difficult thing, but I thought one of the main objectives of the FMB was to establish a consistent standard for judging events, so why is it that Rampage is the only event that you can crash both runs and post a solid score (or any score for that matter)? I don't envy your job and while I agree with your podium selections I think beyond that the scoring was atrocious. I'm just a little confused why people are allowed to crash in this event and still post any score while this is not the practise in any other event? Where's the consistency you promised you'd bring to these competitions? It's seems a little strange that a well executed run with speed, style, amplitude and tricks right to the bottom, would score lower than a run where the rider was fully ejected off the bike both runs. Anyways, I think given the number of people here who are questioning your judgement, it'd be awesome to hear a breakdown of your conclusions. And don't get me started on the prize purse...

Well... playing the devils' advocate here, there are plenty of sports that allow a "fall" and still award points. I think where we want this to have been different is that IF you fall you are not awarded so MANY points, and NOT at that ratio! Is that fair?

I just don't see why Rampage should be different than other events if it's part of the same series? From the get go FMB told us that their mission was to make judging fair and consistent, but where's the consistency? Every event is judged one way and this event is judged entirely differently? So maybe Rampage is so different that it needs a different judging structure altogether? Ok, I'll entertain that idea for a minute. Well then it shouldn't be part of the FMB. But they'd never let it go at this point regardless of what's best for the riders and the contests. Also, why should FMB ranking decide who gets into Rampage? Sam Pilgrim, who ranked high in the FMB wanted nothing to do with Rampage but got a spot in it and bitched about it all week. Why not get riders into the event who want to be there? We'd see a much better competition. Somehow the FMB doesn't seem to be looking out for the best interests of the competition but rather themselves. If they did, we wouldn't see so many unprepared and bitter dirt jumpers forced into going just because they placed well in a lot of dirt jump events. If Rampage is such a different ball game that it needs different judging then it needs a different system for getting into it as well. Scrap the riders that don't want to be there. There are plenty of guys that are begging to be in each year. There are only a couple of big mountain events each year, so why clutter the field with dirt jumpers that would prefer not to have to do those events just because they need the points. With a limited amount of spots at each event, you're taking the opportunity to compete away from real big mountain riders. You're not making it fair and consistent for riders, you're putting cricket players into a baseball tournament. Give your head a shake if you think that's good for the sport.

That's the whole point of another of my post elsewhere in this comments section... This that post: "...Let this be a standalone, and the season ends with a Platinum stop that happens every year. That way guys like the SS-centered riders with single crowns won't be TOTALLY outgunned, and core big mtn. guys like Hopkins and his fellows have a place just for this type of riding..."

Let this be separate, since it only happens every two years, and let the FRWS (that runs each calendar year) be ended with a Platinum stop, EVERY year. Let THIS event be big-mountain like it was meant to be!

AND guys like Norbraten and Doerfling won't be underjudged and forced to compete with trick-centric riders for this event's title....

Well put larock. I wouldn't want to see Rampage excluded from the FMB Tour just because it's not a slopestyle. I do agree that riders that don't wanna be there shouldn't be & riders that do should be. It's sad to see that the buttf*cks organizing things still don't get it. They have their ideas about what they wanna see & sculpt the rider lists accordingly. Pilgrim is a perfect example. Everyone knows he could f*cking demolish the event if he wanted to & people have been talking to that tune, so there he is. The problem is that HE DOESN"T WANT TO! It's like he's under duress because a group of know nothings wants to see 3 whips over the canyon & tuck flips off the Oakley drop. I've said this before, anyone that wants to enter a contest should be able to qualify & EVERYONE should have to qualify. I can give plenty of examples of why that should be. One pre-qualified this year apparently broke his back parcticing, while another who had to qualify qualified first & then got robbed in the final. Some riders get the unfair advantage of not having to qualify just because the aforementioned know nothings have their favorites. AS far as the exclusion from FMB, I think a well rounded rider is the best rider. The "Freeride Mountain Bike Tour" should not exclude the truest freeride mountain bike event. The beauty of a mountain bike is its versatility & the riders should have some degree of adaptability. I'm actually disappointed in Pilgrim for that.

On the other end Bourdo has stated how he just wants to do what he wants to do & he's not gonna do tricks & blah blah blah. Well that's great, but his performance at Rampage was as I predicted it would be. He's past his prime & behind the times. He doesn't have the right "stuff" to warrant sponsorships or automatic contest entries while some highly capable kid is out there killing it in his little shit town & maybe can't afford to get to a single contest. Keep Rampage in, get the shitty has beens out & into the judges seats & everyone has to qualify!!

STILL think it should stand alone, with NO PREREQUISITES or PREQUALIFICATIONS. If you want in, ask. If you're that crazy, prove it. If not, go home before you get killed.

I understand the point about a well-round freerider, but there goes some of these guys! I mean for example (and correct me if I'm wrong) take Doerfling and Hopkins: NOT known for their dirt jumping or pure SS skills, but AMAZING big mountain riders. You don't see them in the FRWS anywhere but here, and that's because this is their specialty. Why punish the SS guys by saying "you have to kill it here to (possibly) win the title" - like this year with Semenuk and Soderstrom - when they have a higher chance of failure and DEATH because of the venue? Good Lord, "Harry" McGarry freakin' hurt his foot TRAVERSING a scouting line, with a damn bottle of water in his hand, and he IS a big mtn. rider! This venue is NOT NORMAL, so if you want it to be:

It needs to happen every year, like the bulk of the rest of the calendar. Wouldn't make much sense to have an NFL, NHL, or NBA season every year, but only crown a champ or have an all-star game every two... (I know that's a labored analogy, but go with it!)

I don't know if I'm connecting my thoughts correctly, but it is a magnificent event, and I relish the chance to even see pictures of something I once dreamed of doing, much less ever would do.

@Tim Zim - Not a bad analogy... and it's pretty accurate. But then the whole "Are you a well-rounded rider?" question comes back up. I dunno anymore.

togood2die, no one said anyone has to kill Rampage to win the title, Semenuk didn't kill it & he won the title. If he had a win at Whistler he could've passed on Rampage if he wanted to, or just did it more casually. Semenuk is big mountain capable & so is Soderstrom & Pilgrim. The question is really just a matter of whether or not they wanna be. I think Semenuk does. Rheeder definitely does. No one forced anyone to be there (even if there might be pressure) & also no one did every hit on the tour. Semenuk didn't hit all the European comps. C'mon dude be real. Freeride tour = freeride events. At Bergline some of the guys were saying they didn't really know what to do off the quarter at the end, like it was a fault of the course designer for building it. Pilgrim was killing it with perfect flairs. As good as any I've ever seen in BMX. Not a fault of the course designer(s), FAULT OF THE RIDERS WHO KNOW NOTHING BUT DIRT JUMPS!!! There is more to freeride than DJ, "pro" riders need to be versatile. That's what these comps are all about. A bike with one brake or none & slick tires isn't a mountain bike anyway. If anything belongs on the Freeride MOUNTAIN BIKE Tour it's Rampage.

To be honest, you guys are missing the bigger picture here... the Rampage is an invitational only event which sucks for the rest of the riders that are part of the FMB that aren't invited in the first place and there's no open quali event for it either. In my opinion this should not be considered as part of the FMB tour. The crazy part is that maybe this event is able to now be held every year, or from now on possibly, is because in due part of its association with the FMB tour... so the question is, do we rid of the Rampage off the Tour and if so, how would it affect the future possibilities of the Rampage being held? I have no clue but it would be tight to get some light shed on this.

Genuinely feel for Cam McCaul after that first run. Dude was so stoked when he was interviewed you could see he thought he had it... Sorge's runs were sick but it was a whole lot closer than those scores suggest

I was out at Rampage and was completely blown away with Bizet's performance on his second run (first one made me crap my pants cause I thought he was going to fall over the cliff). The way he launched himself into the beginning of the upper run on his second go was full on attack and I was blown away how he committed himself to such a tiny goat path of a landing....I was up there and it is insane how tight of a piece of trail it is to stick your tire on and how dire the consequences are if you don't.

I was also completely surprised his line for the finals was down the same line that Doerfling came down. Doerfling made a deal with Bourdon to use the line if it worked out for him for a cut of the prize money. Bourdon spent a month out there with his brother chipping away at a bunch of rock to make the line. Bourdon broke his back and couldn't compete and James made a deal with him....very professional given the work that went into it all. It made sense for James to make a deal with Bourdon to use the line if it worked out because he had been working so hard at it.

I was not stoked to see Bizet use the line for a podium when he hadn't contributed (as far as I know...if I'm wrong and Bizet can or Bourdon can correct me on this I'll withdrawal my remarks).

Etiquete in these events is subjective as is the judging but it is known amongst the competitors (and the rest of us out digging) to ask permission to use a line as a courtesy to your fellow competitors).

Again this is all subjective and from what I saw of Bizet at the event he is a super cool guy, has a fun loving attitude. Just pointing out a bit of etiquette that can mean the difference in placing for others.

Like I said if I'm wrong I think it is cool that he worked something out. When I ran into Robbie after the event I thanked him for letting James run his line. He didn't mention anything about Bizet, but that doesn't mean something wasn't squared away ahead of time.

Great job Sorge but the McCaul brothers should have been on the podium - especially Cam.
Really great to see no major injuries!
this.
disappointed for a lot of the riders scores, super stoked for those same riders pulling off such great rides.
1. sorge
2.cam
3.tyler

Overall I'm kind of disappointed. The guys hit some great lines and did some crazy riding but I was disappointed that we did't really see anything really gnarly. Semenuk's transfer was awesome, Sorge's overall line was sick, but with the injuries to many riders we didn't get to see some of the things that were really hyped going in. I had read something about a Claw frontflip somewhere, McCaul and Zink both looking to pull never before done tricks over the canyon (as it was only McCaul even hit the thing), we didnt get to see Brendan's ridiculous gap etc.

I though the contest ended up great. Our worries about all the wood were all unfounded. But there wasn't anything that really made me say "holy shit" like Zink's 360 last year. There was nothing on that relative level this year.

EXACTLY. I think that if Zink had been healthy this would have been a bit of a different competition. As it was, I'm in agreement that the judging was off, and not in any small way. Norb was slighted big-time, and for what he did, so was Wil White. The biggest disappointment was Cam... though if I HAD to find a reason to agree with the judges on his runs, I think he's been publicized in our sport so much that it's possible they were expecting something even crazier from him. I dunno. Is that an unreasonable explanation? Now Tyler... not fair. Sorge definitely deserved this, and congrats to him, Bizet, and Bingelli. All killer runs!

Yeah, there wasn´t that one moment that stood out - but many people complained last year that Zink´s run only had the 360 in it and the rest was mediocre. So this year, the judging focused on how all the aspects went together.In my opinion, Sorge´s run definitely deserved first - speed, gnarly top part, fluidity, blind step down flip ... but the McCauls could´ve placed higher, that´s true ...

Leave the Canyon Gap, the Icon and the sender underneath it, and scrap the rest, period. Let the rest of the lines be natural and / or built by each rider for each line they have invented. The only reason that quarter should be there is for the smaller bikes to do more with, but none (that I'm thinking of) made it into the finals!

The sender crossing underneath the oakley drop was equally terrible. More respect to riders who cut their own lines to get where they wanted, and still took bigger drops off cliffs. Did anyone other than Soderstrom even hit it?

Yea I agree. A few wood features are ok. I don't mind the Oakley sender, and the big canyon gap. They are kind of like signature features at this point. But I think we saw that some of the other stuff, like the massive wood gap and quarter pipe were just a complete waste.

To the OP- go watch this event in person and maybe walk the course the weekend before the event and you'll have a slightly better understanding of how gnarly those lines and hits are... absurd how many of you can judge lines based off a live cast of it without ever seeing any of it in person. Ever hear the expression that the cameras don't do a feature or line justice? Probably not... regardless of the judging, you guys are ridiculous.

he has eyes and an opinion? just because he's a pure hucker (in your cliche pinkbike view of his riding abilities) doesnt change the fact hes been around more than long enough to have a well educated idea of what control and fluidity is...

Bender was a judge? That might explain the abnormally high scores for crashing I'm hearing about. LMFAO!!!. I've always liked Bender, but I think he'd be a better commentator than a judge. I wouldn't put Bourdon in the judges spot either. Wade would be a good judge, Ritchie would be a good judge, when Claw retires he'd probably be one of the best judges. I can't off the top of my head think of anyone else that is retired or getting close that would be decent. Vanderham probably but he's got a lot of years left I think. Honestly as much as I hate to say it because I'm no fan of the guy, Matt Hunter would probably be a good judge, since he's too much of a pansy to compete like he should be rather than just making himself look good in videos thanks to a sponsorship he unfairly won over C-Mac. It doesn't take much to look good in a video, the true measure of a rider comes down to how they perform when "NOW" is the time to perform & not "maybe later". Having said that, I bet Hunter has a pretty good sense of what's what especially for Rampage & he does have enough style on the bike to be able to appreciate it, to spot it & to judge it. That doesn't mean I think you have to be a stylish & controlled rider to be able to differentiate between stylish & controlled riders, I just think it makes sense that it'd be more likely.

Guess they're just one of those brands that never really made it in the UK.
Hats off to the history. Didn't mean to disrespect them in anyway. Would be nice to see Wil able to push himself with the help of a big name sponsor though

Oh no, that wasn't it... it's just that some don't remember them, even here! Agreed on the part about White and a better bike co. backing him... Now which company would fit him? THAT'S IT. COVE. Perfect fit! Or maybe Knolly?

yea, they're kinda like Intense, company size-wise, except Intense (and Foes) have the advantage of being the most raced bikes for sponsors that don't make a DH frame. Not that Karpiel make anything that would really be targeted at racing, 12" of rear travel is pretty much about trying to land the Jah Drop a nothing else.

how? cams run was sick, but sorge had a way gnarlier line up top, where cam was just ripping on flat... and sorge tricked everything, 2 greasy backflips, a no-hander and then the super extended superman. his run was hands down the best. bizets run was 2nd place material as well, super exposed and raw, with a good mix of flips in there for sure. then you have logan who just shredded hard.. so top 3 make total sense. Yes his cams run was sick, and may have one in 2008, or 2010, but this year compared to everyone elses run, it wasnt anything super crazy..but yea, 7th place was a little low, maybe 4th or 5th.

Props to all the riders.. Overall it was a great event. But Cam and Norbi should have been in the top 5. Sores runs where both good but not as good as the judges scored...and wtf. Is with the attitude from Semenuk.

Yes, I think the same, Cam and Norby got robbed too much, and Semenuk wasn't too likeable with this attitude, he was like a sulky kid or something.. but well deserved win for Sorge, and big respect to all of the riders, they're awesome !!

Gutted for what? He smacked on tricks he shouldn't have (don't start the shit, of course I can't do them, be he SHOULD be able to), and to top it all off, with Soderstrom sliding that last 360 of his, he secured the FRWS title! I mean, yeah you didn't win the Rampage, but you DID just get the overall!

I will agree on the helmet though... He wasn't in the mood right then...

I don't think its ever fair to judge a guy based on how attitude or reaction right after a defeat (or poor run) in this case. He was clearly mad about how he performed as he should have been. That would be like a sideline reporter in football going up to the QB on the sideline right after he throws and interception. They clearly don't do that for obvious reasons. Yea Semuenuk could have been a bit more personable there but I'm not going to kill the guy for it.

common guys, he is a supposed to be a PROFESSIONAL. Anyone can understand how frustrating and hard it can be to be let down by yourself like that, but man every f*cking time he looses he runs off like a 12 year old girl not getting her way. Did you see anyone else storming off because they lost? no, they all took it like the champs they were because they knew that regardless of their results everyone just respected them for riding that course. Most of the riders were down there cheering on the other riders, and just enjoying the event. He is an incredibly talented rider but It seriously blows my mind that Semenuk gets so much respect for the shitty attitude he has for the sport.

That being said, I really enjoyed everything else about the event, everyone seemed to be having fun with each other more than competing. the judging was pretty questionable regarding the mccauls, but by the same merit i wouldn't have wanted to be in the their shoes, the top 10 runs were all absolutely mental.

Who gives a shit about an interview? Not like any of the riders had anything real interesting to say. You guys take something little and meaningless like that and blow it out of proportion because you have f'd up drama-prone personalities like little teen-age girls. "oh, I can't believe he didn't want to talk, I've lost sooo much respect for him" get a life, Pussies!

Is that a joke? Who is paying his wages? The fans are. Make an army of fans, reap the rewards. Make everyone think you're a petulant little brat and pay the price. Of course interviews are important. They make a lot of people, including myself, like or dislike riders more than their riding ever could.

Oh god you guys, your such bleeding hearts for Semenuk whenever things don't go his way, you don't think any of those other guys put all their heart and souls into their riding?

it goes well beyond the interview, hell i can understand the fact he doesn't want to talk to the cameras, but its the whole vanishing and not being out there to support his fellow riders and competitors and interact with fans like PROFESSIONALS are supposed to do. The shit attitude was amplified by the fact that he still has lots to be happy about (winning the FMB cup, as ugly as it is) but he acts more butthurt than any rider out there. Did you see cam maccaul storming off and avoiding his fans when he got 7th place on a gnarly run? NO,all smiles from that guy. did you see Claw loose his shit about not putting down even one solid run? NO, How about Cam zinc when they asked him all kinds of dumb questions about his injuries? NO how about Stroderstom when he didn't make the cut for the FMB cup, and he also had two less that satisfying runs? NO beginning to notice a theme here? Its because most professionals realize that part of their job is demonstrating at least an ounce of maturity.

I mean really its no skin off my back if thats how he wants to act, but if he keeps shitting the bed, his personality certainly won't be keeping him any sponsorships. rant over i guess.

All our favorite riders know the routine. They put a camera in everyone's face, but they didn't interview everyone. Why? Who knows... I didn't mind hearing what they had to say, even though we could have all written the script for the riders' responses because we hear it a lot... I don't mind the attitude initially, with the helmet on and all that, but it's continuing to be a prat that is less that seemly in my opinion. Ya'll defend Semenuk over this, but Claw's "tantrum" on Where the Trail Ends was unacceptable? C'mon.

Who were the judges? They just had such a negative impact on the sport, how can those scores be so low? To any veteran it was way underdone, add 1o points to the scores, Imean, they were saying the organisers were worried for rider safety? Then the guys hitting one of a kind stuff get low 70's? Where did they think they had room to score? First timers watching that would have been thinking, oh yeah, whatever.

1.Sorge2.Norbraten3.Bizet4.C.McCaul5.T.McCaul

Rider judged next time, has to be. Who were the judges! You just took a dirty great shite all over your sport!

TopperharleyPT1 you're spot on. RIDER JUDGED ALL THE WAY. Cam got ripped and how do you score a 79 to Bizet who did a backflip on an offcamber gnarly line and finished with 3 more flips? Rampage needs to learn something from big mountain ski and snowboard comps which are mostly rider judged.

If this was rider judged you would get a true expression of where the sport is, and should be going. Quote -"the evolution" the judges were de-volving it! Check the expression of every rider, each one laid it on the line, their faces dropped when they saw their score. Even Sorge on his first run. Theres more to life than a score, but i wouldnt blame some riders for thinking if they should even bother next time. If this event is really what Red Bull make it out to be, as the pinnacle of free-riding, which BTW I think the riding clearly showed it is, then this event needs a re-format, ditch that silly quarter, and other features that pigeon hole riders into having to hit certain things, make it a here's your hill, off you go, tell us who ripped hardest come Sunday, we'll film you. That sounds like progression to me. I love how many different opinions of top 5's there are, as this shows, from riders, that we all see the sport in our own way, but Sorge, who ruled, seems unanimous. From T.McCauls flowing all mountain style and Norbys 3's in a flowing run, to Cam's big hitting run. It's all good. Just judge it better next time. Will the judges be forced to explain themselves? I hope so.Rant over.

You have to mind the frame of his karpiel is still lighter than scott gambler Not equiped with new shinny custom parts made it look like the bike was brought directly from 2003 rampage museum. Still props for the ridding skills, he nailed it!

wil fuckin shreds. i've ridden with him various times here in San Diego and the last ride we did he rode down 3,000 feet in 3 miles on super rocky bouldery trails in the rain - WITH ONLY A FUNCTIONING FRONT BRAKE. the kid is a nut. and you all need to check out his parkour. he's definitely going places and one of the chillest kids around. so stoked for you buddy

As much as i love mountainbiking and as much as I love to see how this sport progresses... THE JUDGING DID NOT AT ALL! Sorge you nailed it top to bottom, congrats for this amazing run! BUT there were really questionable decisions in the top 10 from the judges!

Great event. Props to Bizet for coming in with 2nd after bailing on his first run. I knew he'd be top 3 after watching him. But, I can't help but agree the judges messed up. Maybe they gave too high a score too early on. But Cam was the only one to hit that massive gap - TWICE - and still got scored so low?? Really? Good on Sorge though. Great runs.

I would definitely like to see the breakdown of scores from the judges for particular riders and where they failed to gain points. However real good coverage and quality, just super excited for the next one!

This is my favorite contest by far in any sport and I was so disappointed by the judging, I think it should be a rider judged event they are the only ones who actually and know how fing HARD it is to stomp these lines! O and congrats to the top 3 and 2nd place rider out of nowhere! awesome

Thinking about single features IMO Wil White "won" the Oakley sender today with the table in his first run when everyone else was just in death grip survival mode off that thing I thought he hit the quarter better than anyone too.

Congrats to Sorge for the sick runs and win. Judges were hating on the McCaul bros.. "But nothing seen in this years Rampage compares to the progressiveness of Cam Zinks 360 of the Oakley sender in 2010".. Still tops anyone this year in my opinion..

Im stoked for sorge he really deserved it after all the footage of him going big in follow me, trail ends etc and his hard luck on crankworks cnda and europe......
And man Brandon looked so dissapointed in himself, better luck nextime...

I'm thinking that that Cam doing the massive canyon gap and getting poor scores is going to effect the future use of said gap jump. I mean why risk doing one of the biggest hits, if it's not going to effect your score! But surpised he didn't pull anything more slopestyle, not 360's, did he even do a flip? To think, he built his bike originally with Fox 36's to allow for possibility of tailwhips, it's surprising to see so little slopestyle influence.

Also REALLY surprised to not see Claw doing anything to impressive, missed his first run, but his second run seemed a bit lame, he seemed to miss most of the big stuff doing only 2 drops and crashing on one of those doing a 360.

There was some impressive riding, Cams first run had my super stoked, and Tylers, but wish we'd seen something huge.. Was kinda hoping Lecondeguy was going to flip the Oakley sender, that guys is usually on another planet...

I was kind of surprised by Claw too. He said after his first run that he was just hoping to put down a solid score so that he could really go nuts in his second run. But then said since he crashed he'd have to go with a safer run on his second.

Was anyone else surprised by this? I mean I would have thought he'd throw down his best run and try to take the win regardless of what happened on run 1. I mean this man has nothing to prove. What does he accomplish by finishing say top 5? Thats great for some up and coming rider to make a name for themselves but a rider like Claw you would think would be gunning for nothing less than a win.

But also, even if he was coming off injury, he said specifically in his interview after run 1 that he had planned on upping his run had he gotten a solid first run down. He said specifically that since he didnt land run 1 that he'd have to do something "safe". My point was that if he was planning on doing something bigger, why did it matter than he didn't land run 1? I would have thought he would have been gunning for the win regardless.

Stoked for Sorgeee!!! but agree with the rest of you when it came to the McCauls and Norby, overall great even though. ps I now understand how hockey fans feel after there team loses a playoff game, so many emotions going on

I thought cam would thrown in a no hander/suicide on the canyon gap like vanderham a few years ago. In terms of progression check out the number of guys who nailed the step down to wall ride. Tyler mccauls runs were breathtaking, I've never seen a run like it. Pure drop offs

Cam's intent was to back flip the gap. Run one there was no need for that risk. Run two, the wind was up; to be honest, I was kinda surprised he hit it--particularly after Zink's horrific crash last night in practice. That was hands down the scariest thing I've ever seen.

Tyler's runs were decent. Judging--I can't say for sure what the standard was that they were using, but I do know that originality and difficulty of line played into Tyler's lower score. Yes, he was fast on the ridge, but not a whole lot of tricks tossed in and not a truly difficult line compared to some of the billy goat moves in between the original start ridges. Had he done a suicide no hander off that big step down at the bottom, likely he'd have moved up to the podium.

I actually think for the most part the judging was ok, its hard to say when not being there, they clearly were looking for a slopestyle-esc type run with trick from top to bottom and big airs definately getting ranked higher than technical line choice, not many riders did any tricks or big airs in the new higher section, those who did podiumed!

Biggest travesty of judging imo was Wil White, he hit a similar line to Vanderham and Gully but with far more finesse & tricks, with a crazy drop on his run into the Oakley sender that went unnoticed. Using the silly quarter pipe probly let him down though albeit he rode it better than any other rider.

It's not just this year, every rampage the judges seemingly pull scores out of their back orifice. They clearly award the early runners more because they don't know what level the field is riding at, the last to go are butt raped because the judges are still finding the right balance to scoring.

Rampage is a great concept for freeride shredding in a competition format...today's judging was a bit of a shame but more than anything I'm just super pumped for my next ride! Cam McCaul and Andreu Lacondeguy have to be disappointed. Congrats to Norby on his top ten...he should've been top 5!

Amazing event, excellent Web cast. After cam mccaul's first run i kept waiting for the score to come in, wondering was it gonna be a couple points ahead of sorge or way over sorge's, then realized his score was way down in fifth, unbelievable!! I'm glad he didn't go for the double back flip over the canyon gap, wasn't worth the risk with how the first run got judged.

Personally, i think, that such event like redbull rampage should finish fmb world tour. Why? Because judging there is really questionable and the result doesn't depend on tricks but "line" which cannot be measured on difficulty scale like tricks; i mean 360 tailwhip is much more difficult than 360 from the same kicker and it's obvious.So Semenuk's result was better than Sorderstrom's by 0.25.. on what basis?

.........and the award to the most proffesional reaction to a bum run goes to Bearclaw. Still smiling and probably just glad to be riding after only recently recovering from breaking his back. Awesome! Oh yeah, and Cam should have finished a little higher.

It was one of the more exiting Rampage ever. Really a great great event. Cong to the riders (amazing moves), cong to Sorge (that backflip was breathtaking), cong to RedBull (the live was perfect, clear images and no connection fails, great!), cong to everyone involved in the event.From Italy

sorge deserved it! sick line choice at the top - no hander into the descent - stylish drop - superman - a f***ing step down backflip and the big transfer? c'mon guys this was by far the best run of the whole event!

additionaly many riders had not his line maintainance.

....and Cam McCaul obiously pokered too much with this huge canyon gap, which was huge but also just solid..

Props to all the riders for once again pushing the limits of the sports and for a great show, the judging on the other hand was just plain awful, it seems as if you had to hit the Oakley sender to score higher, but then again they are one of the main sponsors of the event + the sender makes for good NBC TV eye candy therefore making me question allot of things about the event and the way it was judged. Both Mcauls were robbed as was Norbz, Semenuk had the best line hands down and in my opinion his transfer drop was way sicker than the man mader Oakley sender. Antoine's run up top was also sick, biggest dissapointment for me was that Zink got hurt as I am sure he would have flip the canyon gap and would have taken this rampage and NBC's rating to another level,..

I said on pinkbike after the last rampage the judging was terrible. And I got negative props! Well I was right then and just proved right again this rampage. I wish the online community would have ripped the judges after the last rampage, then maybe we could have decent judges this year.

Sorge killed it. Semenuk needs to get rid of that helmet though, it's been nothing but bad luck. Judges must of been out of it with the heat, but cam McCaul should of been top 3. Since when did the 60 foot canyon gap become not a big deal? Only guy to hit it too. Seems that to get a decent score you had to hit the Oakley sender.

I think everyone who is so upset about the judging and only watched the internet footage needs to stay quiet. From what i saw the difficulty of the riders line played big into the scores. the judges were well informed and had the best poissible views, i would not want to be one of them. some of the lines were so difficult they could'nt throw tricks off them and othe riders mad easier line so the could trick off them. all judging is subjective to a point, if you go in expecting someone to blow your mind and they only put down an average run im sure there score is going to be affected by that. I agree some of the riders should have gone up or down a place, but for the most part they are pretty good, as you can tell by all the comments everyone has a different opinion on who should have placed where. Awesome event none the less! Every rider that competed in this event is one of the best.

Hey... honestly that isn't a bad idea... Let this be a standalone, and the season ends with a Platinum stop that happens every year! That way guys like the SS-centered riders with single crowns won't be TOTALLY outgunned, and core big mtn. guys like Hopkins and his fellows have a place just for this type of riding. I'm not being exclusionary or anything like that at all, but Soderstrom is a prime example. Asking advice (because he definitely needed it) between runs, just to try to land a trick and win the overall? That cannot be a fun feeling for him. "Well shit, this isn't my forte, but I have to come here and take a swing if I want the title!" I wouldn't like that...

Sorge deserved the win, Bizet definitely deserved second IMO.. I watched him do his 3rd over my head in person, his run was nuts.. From there it was a clusterf*ck. But Cam's first run should've been higher, and definitely Norby's run was scored FAR too low. Those were the four that really stood out in my opinion.. Although there were about 5 just below that were unreal as well.

all i have to say is nice work to all the riders that came out on top or got worked by the hill,great effort guys awesome to watch!!! as a mtn biker i see how many riders had a bad time in virgin&this is not the norm for FMB events so props to all the riders..going big or gonging home hurt Rampage is brutal!

Props to all the guys, major balls just to drop-in on any of those lines. The judges on the other hand not the best. Cam's first run should have one it, they shafted him on it. Good job to all the competitors!

Overall, kudos to all the riders..hell just to ride down that without wrecking is rock star in my opinion! Judging, yeah their scores per rider and what they did, did not make any sense at all. Their scores were all over the place. Riders that did similar lines and stunts had such different scores. Early days of Rampage was all about the sickest lines...then some dude named Berrecloth came out and added fancy stunts. Freeride changed, slopestyle evolved. Now the slope style dedicated riders can't truly handle the Rampage, and the big mountain rippers who take the sickest lines (Berrecloth, Gully, Vanderham) but don't add the right stunts, can't score worth crap. So what Kurt showed was what the Rampage is now. Drop a sick line from the top, do some stunts, hit a wooden ramp, do some more stunts, and you got it. His run was super sick, first and second, he deserved it. I would like to see the wooden stuff go away and see more huge drops like what Semenuk did...now that is RAMPAGE!

Personally My favorite was Hopkins..holy shit! That dude is awesome, hope he is ok!

French fries should win .... he had me on that backflip at the top ... and it just got better ... too bad he went easy on the drop and didnt completelly shut their mouth at the end with at least some no hander over gap and some pivotal trick over the quarter.

I think they should raise everything on FMB to this level so everyone has to get gnarly on big bikes for the whole season. They can do a separate dirt jump world tour for hardtail/slope bikes. There's obviously such a massive difference. I'd love to see what some of these slope guys could do if they actually spent some time trying to throw down on gnarlier terrain. This comp is just head and shoulders above everything else.

Since no one else has mentioned it... I think this confirms that for this sort of riding, 650B is HERE to stay... after 3rd place at rampage... you watch... every major brand who's still fence sitting will be launching 650B AM or FR/DH bikes by the time of sea otter next spring. A few months ago after the last sea otter, when pinkbike reviewed Norco's new 160mm travel Range 650B bike, folks were whining about the new wheel format not being good for anything DH/FR and that 26ers were staying for that...and yet this weekend we got Logan Bingelli throwing down 360s and backflips and executing huge jumps on 650Bs.

Great event. Can't believe that was more than 3 hours.
I thought the judging was pretty fair for once.
They judged on the whole run.
Kurt went from the super technical up top, to throwing different trick and amplitude down the bottom he did it fast and fluidly.
When there are 4 boxes to tick on a run, you gotta tick all 4 to get a great score.
Only on Kurt's 2nd run, did I appreciate how good the run was and how many boxes he ticked.
Great to see the rampage return to more of its roots, with the big mountain lines taking the stage over a single trick.

There is no doubt that Sorges runs were good but they should not have scored as high as they did. Cam and Norbi should have scored much higher than they did. cam was the only one to hit the large gap and Norbi's360's were dialed.

That is the great thing about personal opinion.
Everyone will differ in their thoughts.
Cam did not do enough up top. The commentators were suggesting that was the reason also.
Some of the top lines looked insane compared to the goat trail. Bike skills shown were amazing.

Lift your head and watch the replay...it was too early in Australia after a big weekend, I'm half way through it and gob-smacked at how low Cam McCaul's first run scored...at least now I understand all the hate for the judges, tough job!

Agreed, Bizet came out of nowhere to throw down that sick second run, loved his line choice and the top section backflip. Cam got robbed, but I respect him even more for his positive attitude towards everything (unlike some of the rider's little hissy fits)..What a guy.

The whole point of rampage is pushing big mountain bike lines. Tricks dont score same as dj events. Creative lines win over trickery. When you reach bender status you can be the judge.
Nice win for giant!

Ok, Bender is a freerider (and a LEGEND, do not misquote me), but as stated above, how does his experience lend him to judge "smoothness, flow, and line connectivity" in any way? Most everything he's ever ridden on film back in the day were one-hit-wonders and he barely rode away from any of them! That shit is the OPPOSITE of this event.

Comparatively speaking, that's the point.
His era was one set of skills, this is another era.
I'll be one of the first to say that watching him turned me into a hucker at age 14! If it weren't for that guy, I'd probably be a lycra-wearing XC guy... But it's just perspective that we're speaking to.

Bender was one of the judges, so he could not influenced the results much. You say he is not technical rider, has no style etc., but he has the vision of freeride coz he is over 15 years in this sport. And how could judge these almost random guys(judges) that don't know specificity of this kind of sport? So here are these unfair results.

Yeah, thats actually another dumb bike brand nam, just as bad as Trek. Its funny when people pronounce it Gee-aunt, cause they think no company would be dumb enough to call themselves Giant.
And they are thieves, stole the DW link design from Weagle without paying patent royalties.

LOL stop taking it all so seriously? Pinkbike is where the serious riders are, bitch. I think you're in the wrong place. If you wanna preach your moral values to someone, why don't you start with braindead f*cking imbiciles who riot over hockey, football & soccer games, who actually do huge amounts of damage to people & property before bringing your arrogant & baseless arguments & statements in here? You even realized that Devin doesn't REALLY think anyone should be shot over it & you still had to wave your stinking rotten pussy all over the place. Rightfully they should be charged with robbery (since that's what they're guilty of) & tossed in jail.